Officials cut ribbon for reopening of Potter’s Terrace (November 2, 2022)

Officials cut the ribbon to reopen a renovated Potters Terrace Park in downtown Jamestown Wednesday afternoon.

The park, owned by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, had been closed since 2019 due to issues with the wood structure that used to cover an 8-foot hole beneath the park. That structure was removed and the hole filled in back in 2021.

JRC Urban Core Director Frank Besse said the park features trees and shrubbery, “..limestone benches and tables, different large boulders that can be used as seating or as kind of an area to run and jump and play if you’re a younger frequenter of downtown. And it’s a place where you can take a break, maybe, from your job downtown. Or if you live downtown, to get some fresh air. But it’s that congregation place, ‘Oh, I’ll meet you down at Potter’s Terrace,’ to maybe go shopping downtown or before a show, or just catch up with somebody or perhaps read a book.”

Besse said Leaf and Stone Architecture designed the space with Sivak Stonemasonry performing the construction work. He said facade work will be done soon on the neighboring Chamber of Commerce Building as well as the facade of the building next to Potter’s Alley, “A long standing project of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation has been what we call ‘Potter’s Gallery.’ This public art that we see on buildings neighboring on Potter’s Alley. So, the oldest of those pieces is about nine years old and is showing weather. So what we’ve done is work with Jamestown Public Schools to find more local student artwork, get that printed, and hung up here. So, hopefully we’ll see that here in the next few weeks to a month.”

Besse said the facade work will hopefully be completed on the Chamber Building by Spring.

The project was funded through a grant of $200,000 from the Gebbie Foundation with some support by Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Jamestown.